The present invention relates to hose clips in general, and more particularly to improvements in hose clips of the type wherein the tensioning of the band around a hose or the like need not be effected by resort to a threaded tightening element. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in hose clips or pipe clamps of the type wherein one end section of the band has an opening for the other end section and the opening constitutes a closed slot.
It is already known to provide that (second) end section of the band in a hose clip which extends through the slot of the other (first) end section with teeth or analogous detent elements which can be engaged by a bent-over portion of the first end section in order to hold the band against expansion in response to the tendency of the confined hose or another component to increase the diameter of the band. It is also known to provide such hose clips with back supports for the bent-over portion of the first end section in order to enable the bent-over portion to more raadily withstand the tendency of the confined hose or the like to expand the band.
In accordance with a prior proposal, the back support is constituted by the end portion of the second end section, and the detent elements constitute undulated parts of such end portion. The bent-over portion of the first end section extends into one of the valleys between neighboring hills of the undulated portion. The selection of that valley which is to receive the bent-over portion of the first end section depends upon the magnitude of radial force which acts upon the bent-over portion. The range of diameters of the band (i.e., the dimensions of components which can be properly clamped by hose clips employing such bands) depends upon the rather slight degree of inclination of the end portion of the second end section. As a rule, the bending stresses to which the end portion of the second end section of the band in such a hose clip is subjected increases with increasing diameter of the clamped commodity. This means that the material of the band must stand very pronounced bending stresses if the hose clip which is configurated in the just described manner is to stand relatively large bending stresses while surrounding a portion of a large-diameter hose or the like. In the absence of the ability of their material to stand pronounced bending stresses, the usefulness of such hose clips is limited to a relatively small number of applications. For example, the hose clips cannot be applied around the end portions of large-diameter hoses which serve to convey fluids at an elevated pressure. The above proposal is disclosed in German patent application No. 30 10 424.
Hose clips with tightening means in the form of screws are disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,237,588, 4,244,088 and 4,300,270.